Bird of Prey
by Kelleighlizz
Summary: Join the ranks of the Assassin's Order? Easy. Join the ranks of the Assassin's Order as a female? Ha, that's a joke. I never had trouble knocking a snot-nosed kid to the ground, so why is it so difficult for me to join the Brotherhood and be seen to my full potential? Right, because I'm a little girl who's supposed to bow to men and wear pretty dresses and look beautiful. AltairxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Assassin's Creed**

**•••**

**Bird of Prey**

**•••**

**Chapter I: Hawk Feathers**

**•••**

**1181 A.D.  
Streets of Jerusalem**

He dodged the crowd left and right, swift as a bird. As he weaved through the sea of merchants and customers, beads of sweat gently rolled down his tanned forehead, causing his white hood to stick to his face like a second skin. Occasionally, he would scratch his irritated, light beard which felt like rough sandpaper to his fingers. Ignoring the crowd, he continued down the main street that lead to his hideout - the Assassin's Bureau.

Upon turning on a narrow street, the man heard shouts and cries around another corner. Assuming another innocent citizen was under attack, the white-robed man rounded the corner, unsheathing his dagger but keeping it hidden behind his back. Down the even narrower ally was a ground of men, kicking a shadow at the ground. One of the men turned around, crossing his arms shouting, "Carry on, citizen. Nothing to see here." But as the white figure approached even closer, the other began to curse threats.

Four guards stopped beating the unknown object and turned their attention to the blood-stained man as their fellow guard fell to the ground, his hands around his neck trying to keep the blood from pouring out of his body until he collapsed on the ground, stirring up some dirt in the hot atmosphere.

"Assassin!" One shouted, pulling his own blade from his sheath and swinging it aggressively at the attacker, who in returned dodged every swing effortlessly. The armature guard was no match to a man who trained his whole life to rob the injustices of their lives. "Stupid dog!" The man shouted once more at the hooded-face. This time, the other three guards drew their swords as well, stalking closer to the attacker.

One by one the man dodged their attacks, finding openings to stick his dagger into his opponents. They dropped like flies onto the blood covered dirt, leaking the crimson liquid until there was nothing left. The man sheathed his weapon, not wanting to frighten the poor figure. A small lump his over a cloak, possibly a large dog shaking.

Slowly the man pulled the cloth from the bundle, revealing a small girl covered in her own blood from a broken nose. She cried and scooted away from the man, frightened he might attack her like the others did. She peered beyond her caramel brown hair and past the man, seeing five corpses laying on the ground with their eyes open in shock from the moment the attacker stuck them with his small blade.

"It's okay, child. They won't hurt you anymore." He cooed to the young girl. She lived on the streets he assumed, noticing how skinny she was compared to the other children and the dirt that stuck to her bloody nose, cheeks, fingernails, and forehead. He assumed they attacked her for stealing a small loaf of bread or an apple just to feed her hunger. He reached his hand out to her but she only scooted further back until her back was pressed tightly against a wall. "I won't hurt you, child. What's your name?"

His calming voice eased her tensed muscles only slightly, but when he took a small step forward and squatted to her level, she did not run or jump. He smiled at her, awaiting a response until he saw that it was hopeless getting this girl to talk to him - to trust him. But he didn't blame her. She was starving and scared, beaten, then faced a man who just murdered five of the City's Guards.

"My name is Rune." He continued, trying to start a small conversation with the girl. "Do you live here?"

She replied with a small nod of her head, bringing her knees to her chest and hugging her legs. It was a start, he thought, at least she was responding to him. "Where is your family?" He asked, she only looked down at the ground. He knew he pressed too much too quickly and decided to take a small shuffle back before sitting down in the dirt with her, ignoring the rotting corpses. He knew if he wanted to gain her confidence, he would have to be slow and gentle with her.

"Are you alone?"

She raised her eyes back at him, nodding again. For the first time he noticed how tan she was and yet her eyes were ocean blue. A contrast, but beautiful mix. Apart of her genetics came from another place, but she was definitely Arabian - most likely from Israel.

"Do you have a home?" His eyes saddened when he saw her shake her head slightly. An abandoned girl, living on the streets, and probably an orphan. He smiled at her, mentally telling her everything was going to be okay and that it would take more than her stubbornness for him to leave her. "I live in the mountains up North from here. It's not big like Jerusalem but it's filled with kind people and a lot of children. You can come with me, it will only be a few days' ride. What do you say?"

•••

**Six Days Later**

"She's just a girl, Master Rune."

"I know, Grandmaster. But I couldn't just leave her. Plus, she's still young, young enough to learn."

"Never in the thousands of years has the Assassin's Order allowed a _woman_ into the ranks of Assassins. She won't do, she needs to go back home."

"But she has no home, Grandmaster. She has no family, she has no home, she has nothing."

"Master Rune, I will not accept this child into our Order. She can stay for the night, but in the morning she needs to leave."

"But Grand-"

"Not another word."

The younger man huffed in frustration, leading the young girl down the steps of the fortress, leading into the courtyard. He figured he might as well get as much food into her stomach as possible before having to release her back into the streets. A young lad, only sixteen years old and excelling the ranks of the Order faster than anyone else, approached the duo with his hood covering his delicate face.

"Uncle, I was expecting you to be home two days ago."

"Apologies, lad. I was travelling with extra baggage." He motioned to the small girl behind him, her small fists clutching the tail of his robes like a lost puppy. Her wide beady eyes scanned the young man, noticing a fain scar on his lips. He smiled at her, only slightly to show he was not going to harm her. It was a some-what pleasant smile, but nothing compared to Rune's. "This is... ah, Khora. Well, that's what I've been calling her. She doesn't speak much, poor thing is a slave of the streets."

"Why bring her here?"

"I was trying to coax Grandmaster to letting her stay. Tomorrow I have to throw the poor thing back into the streets."

"Shame. Well I must be going, Uncle."

"Hey, lad. Maybe you can talk some sense into the Master." The young man just nodded in response before rushing up the steps of the fortress and into the keep. Rune looked down at the small girl, who was almost in tears, and warmly smiled at her. "Come, Khora. Let's get some real food."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow already favoriters, followers, and a review. Sweeeeeet. **

**REVIEW  
chelsea-chee: Long time no see :) I'm glad you're interested!**

* * *

**Read, Follow, Favorite, Review, & Enjoy :)  
**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Assassin's Creed blah blah blah Credit goes to Ubisoft blah blah blah I only own my OCs: Rune, Khora, Leif

* * *

**Assassin's Creed**

**•••**

**Bird of Prey**

**•••**

**Chapter II: A New Beginning**

**•••**

**The Next Morning**

"Master, Rune. Grandmaster would like to speak to you before you depart." A young man clad in grey approached the man and girl who were prepared to leave Masyaf. Maybe Rune could not watch over the girl, but that didn't mean he couldn't make sure she was safely in Jerusalem with a pouch full of coin and dried food. He figured he'd take any jobs held in Jerusalem just to see if the young girl was alive and well, sending her more food and gold.

Rune faced the younger man, noticing it was Leif, a novice who was more of a courier than an assassin. He huffed at the news, mumbling, "First he wants her gone at first light and now summons me before I leave. Great."

"Master?" The novice asked as if he was supposed to hear Rune's rambling to send a message back to Al Mualim. Rune snapped out of his own mind and faced the boy once again.

"Nothing. Thank you, Lad. Come, Khora." He ordered, reaching up the saddled horse and grasping the mounted girl under her arms and swiftly bring her back to the Earth floor. At first she was reluctant to follow Rune, shy and scared of what the Grandmaster would say this time. Their first encounter didn't go to well, the little girl feeling insulted and threatened by a man who could only see out of one eye.

When Rune noticed she wouldn't follow his lead, he squatted down to her height and resting his calloused hand on her sharp shoulder. "It's okay, he won't hurt you. I promise." She pursed her lips in distaste, her blue eyes scanning the dirt below her feet. Rune sadly smiled at his companion, gently taking her frail hands in his before standing up. "It will take an army of thousands to get between you and me. Let's go, my master is waiting."

This time Khora had no choice but to follow the man up the winding roads and up several flights of stairs before once again standing before a desk she could barely see over. The black-robed, white-bearded man stood as the duo approached, collapsing his hands behind his back. He eyed the girl, studying her as she hid behind Rune once again.

"Grandmaster." Rune reported in, bowing to his elder.

"Master Rune, it has come to me that I have criticized the youngling too harshly. However, allowing women to join our Order is prohibited and will not be allowed. But _I_ am the Grandmaster so _I_ make the laws. If this child passes a series of tests she will be seen as contestant in the upcoming trials."

"T-Thank you for your generosity, Master."

"She _will_ be under your care and if this child fails to become a member, she will be sent to the Maid's Guild and become a hand-maiden. Now, what is your name, girl?"

Rune moved to the side to allow his master to get a better look at the girl. She looked at Rune with beady eyes, full of fear and confusion. He wished he could answer for the mute, but there was no such thing as interrupting Al Mualim's conversation. If she were to be an Assassin, she would have to swallow her fears and face them head on. After a long period of time - only mere seconds - Rune held his breath, praying to Allah that she would answer.

Just as Rune was about to run out of breath, the girl finally answered. "Khora." Oh no, Rune thought, she lied to the Master. Or did she? Did she even have a name before she found her? What did she call herself? And why would she use the name he gave her?

Rune exhaled as his heart started racing as the Grandmaster rubbed his white beard, taking in the little information.

"Well, Khora. How old are you?"

As small as she was, Rune would guess six or seven but the complexity of her face said otherwise. True, she was small for her likely age but didn't mean she was any less of an Assassin. "Nine, I think." She stumbled on the last part, trying to calculate her actual age. It was hard for anyone living on the streets to calculate what time of the year it was, focusing more on survival than education.

"Well then, Little Khora. Do you agree to these terms: train under Master Rune and compete in the trials to become an Assassin, if you fail to take on the role as a hand-maiden for the Brothers?"

Khora hesitated, slowly taking in the words Al Mualim was telling her, almost unsure of what she was getting herself into. There was no way she knew what an Assassin was nor a Hand-Maiden. But if she wasn't killed in the trials then she would live here in Masyaf with food in her belly and a roof over her head. Finally, the girl replied with a nod of her head and a shy smile.

"Master Rune, Little Khora. You may take your leave.

•••

**Two Months Later**

"Uncle."

"Ah, welcome back, Lad. How was your first solo mission outside of Masyaf?"

"Successful. What are you doing?" Rune pointed down to a blur of grey and orange to his nephew. They watched as Little Khora - a common nickname for the lass - as she chased a tiger-stripped cat across town. The small hill they stood on gave them the full view of the city, a perfect place for the Assassins. "Why is she chasing a cat? I thought you were teaching her."

"Speed, agility, balance, and grace are traits every Assassin should have."

"I get it, in order to catch the cat she needs to be like a cat." The six-teen, now Rank Nine Veteran, watched as the cat slipped away from the brown-haired girl once again, spitting and hissing as he ran. The girl pouted as she ceased running, but not quitting just yet. To Rune's surprise, the girl was no quitter. She mumbled, complained, whined, and cried but never once did she quit.

Soon the cat came flying past her once more, this time worn and tired but she wasn't for she stored her energy. She went dashing towards the animal, arms out as she got closer and closer. Just as her fingers brushed the tail of the animal, her little feet gave out from under her and she tripped over a small rock, landing face first into the dirt. Khora watched as the cat got away, this time for good and stood up, brushing the dirt off her trousers, looking up at her trainer.

She pouted when she saw two men holding their sides from laughing so hard, leaning against one another.

"Jerks." She cried, running off into the swarm of shoppers to disappear from the laughing duo, cheeks red from embarrassment.

•••

**A Few Weeks Later**

"The trial is in a few days and you have yet defeated an opponent." Rune huffed, crossing his arms in frustration. The thirty-eight year old Master Assassin put Khora against brand new recruits. _Recruits._ And she still couldn't defeat them in a spar. In order to enter the trails, she needed to defeat one member of the order, and that member would be de-ranked a whole rank so of course no one was going easy on her, even if they could barely hole their own blade. Blade as in a wooden sword.

"I'm trying. I really am." She cried, falling to the dirt in exhaustion. They bother were frustrated with one another, making it impossible for her to do what Rune asked. Most of the time she would defy him but when it came to practicing for the trials, she listened. But that wasn't nearly enough. Rune thought about getting Labib or Rauf to train the girl, maybe she would listen to them.

"Try harder. Again." He demanded as he unsheathed his own weapon, sparring with her. She groaned heavily before standing back on her feet, bringing her wooden sword back into position. He slowly swung horizontal and as she faced him, she blocked it and pushed his sword to the side. Then she went to jab at him but he hooked the tip of his blade under the hilt guard and with a quick flick of his wrist, disarming the child.

She sat down and pouted again, refusing to continue with the spar match. "Dammit, child. You need sulking and train."

"Her stance is off." A new voice entered the arena. A man of sixteen, almost seventeen, came out from the shadows, his ever so watchful eyes looking down at the girl from under his hood. Altair was young, but he was one of the best Assassins Masyaf has ever seen, a true son of Umar Ibn-La'Ahad. No wonder why Al Mulaim took the orphaned child under his watch. "Grab your blade." He spoke to Khora this time - actually for the first time. He didn't dislike the child, but he surely wished he was on a mission right now.

Without a sound, the girl obeyed, not wanting to upset the GrandMaster's protegé. She held her wooden sword up again, facing the master as he drew his blade. "No, stand sideways. You're skinny, making your opponent's target more difficult to strike." He pushed her shoulder with the tip of his blade, being careful not to jab her. Now that she stood sideways, she felt more comfortable but it was still difficult for her to maneuver.

"Think of your sword as an extension of your arm. If you move naturally, your sword will follow."

Rune stood off to the side, watching his nephew teach to the young girl. A few times her blade dropped from her hands but she instantly picked it up as if in a real fight, never quitting in the middle of the session. Before he knew it, Khora was now the one attacking Altair instead of defending herself. She mirrored his steps, being careful to keep her blade in between their bodies.

"Good, again!" He would shout at her as she swung, connecting wood with steel. Rune could see the sweat rolling off her face as she fought the exhaustion, trying to keep up with Ibn-La'Ahad. She was moving around more than usual, more comfortable with the wooden sword in her hand. Rune let go of his frustration and smiled - an almost certain member of the Brotherhood, the first female Assassin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Read, Follow, Favorite, Review, & Enjoy :)  
**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Assassin's Creed blah blah blah Credit goes to Ubisoft blah blah blah I only own my OCs: Rune, Khora, Leif, Oberyn, Dai Abdul, Rin the Unforgiving, and Chad Robley

* * *

**Assassin's Creed**

**•••**

**Bird of Prey**

**•••**

**Chapter III: The Trials**

**•••**

"Just remember, if you lose it doesn't disqualify you. They're watching for skill and potential, so show them just that."

"I-I can't. Because of me, Leif got demoted..."

"Don't think about that, child. Focus on you."

The Masyaf courtyard was covered in Assassins and family members off to see their child fight. Khora was the youngest of the group and the only female, making her at a disadvantage. She stressed about defeating Leif in a spar, the look he gave her would forever haunt her mind. But today was the day and her minded needed to be in that gated sparring zone.

For hours she watched as one child cut down another; some were so powerful that the loser bled all over the ground, some were smart enough to use the sun to their advantage, others won out of cheer luck. Khora's tiny heart raced, the trails almost coming to and end and soon she would be up. She looked around, trying to find out who her opponent would be, but not seeing any fresh faces.

A hand rested on her head, forcing her to look back at the arena. "See how slow he is?" Altair's voice whispered in her ears so no one else could hear their strategy. "You're faster and smaller than most. Use that to your advantage."

"Congratulations Rin the Unforgiving. You have passed onto the rank of Initiate. Chad Robley, although you are strong you still have much more training to do. Try again next year. Up next, Khora against Oberyn Isaac."

"You can do this, Khora. Remember, conserve your energy." Rune called out as Little Khora pushed through the towering crowd, making her way to the ring. She swore if her heart pumped any faster it would break through her ribs and spill her blood all over the already crimson-stained dirt. The crowd fell quiet as the two entered the ring, only leaving the sound of an eagles's cry to echo. The crowd began to whisper to each other, the word 'girl and 'brat' heard often. Khora looked over at her opponent; a twelve-year-old boy who was taller than most. Fatter too.

"Begin." The instructor ordered before Khora had the chance to look over at Rune. Without warning, the fat boy came at Khora, swinging his wooden blade back and forth like a mad man, knocking Khora's wooden sword to the dirt when she tried to defend herself. Her eyes watched in horror as the boy came at her again, this time breathing harder and she backed up as far as she could until the wooden post refused to let her go any further.

"Come on, Oberyn! She's just a girl!" The crowd cheered, seeing Khora was defenseless. Now the fat kid was right in arm's reach from her, swinging his blade horizontally as hard as possible. Our of instinct, Khora jumped onto waist-high post, dodging his sword. The boy hit the post so hard that it shook, causing his wrist to scream in pain from the sudden impact.

Khora took her opportunity to jump back down and run towards her wooden sword. Before Oberyn could reach her again, Khora took the sword by the hilt and shuffled back slightly to give herself more room. Remembering her training, she faced sideways, giving Oberyn a smaller target to strike. The crowd fell quiet, allowing Khora to hear Rune shout, "That's it, child! You're faster than he is!"

Oberyn spit at the ground, never taking his eyes off the girl. Shouting, he ran towards her, swinging his sword down but Khora easily dodged it and rolled to the side, rounding the heavier kid. She could see he was getting really tired as sweat dripped from his choppy, brown hair. Even though Khora had a chance to strike, she conserved her energy and used it to dodge the boy's attack again. And again. And again.

The brown-haired, blue-eyed girl danced around the boy, barely feeling tired as he huffed and puffed about, thrashing and swinging at the girl. "Stand still... so I can... hit you..." He gasped between breathes, almost falling to his knees. Khora didn't reply to the boy, instead she rolled to his side again, whacking the back of knees causing him to fall face first into the dirt. He rolled to his back, panting as if he ran several miles. Khora became distracted by the crowd - half cheering for her, the other half shouting at Oberyn to get up and finish her.

Looking up, Khora locked her gaze with Rune's, who was smiling like a father witnessing his son's success. Khora smiled back, but suddenly she was flat on her back as Oberyn's arm swept her feet from under her. Rolling over, he was on top of her, his knee on her chest forcing all the air out of her lungs as he used the blunt, wooden sword to choke her.

Khora began to panic, unable to suck in any air as she was being choked and sat on by a boy twice her weight. She clawed at his hands, trying to pry the wood from his fingertips but it was impossible. The trashed her head, trying to breathe as his sweat dripped on her face and soon his plump red cheeks began to blur. All the girl could hear was rushing water as her eyes blurred the whole scene. Where people cheering? Where they silent?

Her body began to give out, but not before the weight was suddenly lifted from her chest and throat and she was finally able to suck in air, relieving her burning lungs. Tears fell down her cheeks as she rolled onto her knees, holding her stomach in her hands as if it were about to spill out of her body.

Looking over, Khora saw a man clad in white, holding the boy by his collar.

"Altair, what is the meaning of this?" The Instructor hissed at the boy. Altair released the boy, who fell to the ground, and lowered his head in sign of respect. "In the name of Rashid-"

"Enough, Dai Abdul." Grandmaster Al Mualim interrupted before the Instructor could do any harm to Altair's rank. "Altair, you will not be punished for interrupting the trial. Please, continue Dai Abdul with your judgement."

"Very well, Grandmaster. Oberyn Isaac, I deem you worthy and promote you to Initiate. Khora..." The whole courtyard was quiet once more, leaving Khora to her thoughts. Her heart raced and all she could hear was the pulse in her head as she looked up to Altair, ignoring Oberyn as he shuffled pathetically to his feet and out of the arena. Altair's honey-coloured eyes shone through the shadow of his hood as he slightly nodded to her.

"... I hereby promote you to Initiate as well."


	4. Chapter 4

**Read, Follow, Favorite, Review, & Enjoy :)  
**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Assassin's Creed blah blah blah Credit goes to Ubisoft blah blah blah I only own my OCs: Rune, Khora, Leif, Oberyn, Dai Abdul, Rin the Unforgiving, Chad Robley, Sir Raj, Amid Azhar, Alic Azhar-Gewels, Vici Newman, Adidah Gewels,

**P.S.** I don't know Arabic so I apologize if the words are wrong.

* * *

**Assassin's Creed**

**•••**

**Bird of Prey**

**•••**

**Chapter IV: Osrah Means Family**

**•••**

**1189 A.D.  
Eight Years Later**

"Sister!" A man shouted at the seventeen-year-old Rank Five Footpad.

"Rin!" She squealed, embracing the man as if she thought she'd never see him again, then again that's exactly what she thought. It's been six years since she first laid eyes on Masyaf and she was well known around town as Lady Assassin. She made several friends - several enemies - even though most of the older men refused to acknowledge her as their equal. But Rin was nothing like those men.

Only being eighteen, Rin and the other young boys were growing up with the thought of a sister-in-arms and didn't see what was wrong about it. The two were a lot like sister and brother; spending time training together, eating together, and even fighting among each other like blood siblings. When Khora was little - er - she thought she would be alone for the rest of her life but here she was with a whole new family and friends. And she loved it.

"How was the mission? Tell me all about it! Did you see any Templars? Did you get to fight any? What does Acre look like? Did you -"

"Woh, woh, woh. Khora, settle down. I'll answer your questions at chow, but first I must report to Grandmaster." Before departing, Khora embraced Rin the Unforgiving once again, earning a goofy face in return. Once Rin disappeared into the crowd, leaving Khora to return to her patrol. Most afternoons, she roamed the city, looking for mischief or anyone in need of a hand. Other days, she'd teach the illiterate how to read or tutor them in writing. For a girl who was picked from the streets, she was very intelligent, even more than most, and it showed.

Now by the gates that lead out of Masyaf, she noticed a certain man saddling up a back stallion. Leaving her route, she approached the hooded-figure, trying to be quiet as she sneaked up on him. "Shouldn't you be patrolling the city?" He spoke out loud, startling her. She pouted, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"You're no fair, Altair." She tried to whine but ended up laughing at herself. "Hey, that rhymed. Maybe I should be a poet instead."

The twenty-four year old Assassin shook his head in amusement at her little joke. She always said something funny around him that made him truly question her intelligence but in most cases, he was only being a snobby older brother to her. He continued to saddle up his horse, strapping in necessaries for his new mission. "Where are you going this time?" She asked, almost sad to see him go again. She enjoyed his company, even if she only saw him a few days a month.

"Damascus." He finally replied to her, even if it was a simple sentence, well not even a sentence. Ever since Al Mualim started piling missions on Altair, the Assassin Fifth Rank has been exhausted to the point he rarely spoke or left his room during his short stays in Masyaf. Ten months Altair has been running off, completing missions in order to gain the title Master Assassin, like his father and uncle.

"Well, I better get back to work before Sir Raj gets on my case again." Khora muttered out to the Assassin. She watched as he flawlessly mounted the stallion, taking the reins into his hands and pointed the horse towards the dirt road. She thought he was going to leave without another word again, but this time he surprised her with a goodbye.

"I'll see you in a few days."

•••

**Later That Night**

"So there I was, face-to-face with a Templar. He rose his sword skyward and I stood there, knees shaking like a little girl."

"Hey!" Khora shouted at Rin, interrupting his story at the show table, surrounded by other Footpads and Disciples. The crowd roared in laughter as the young woman defended her gender. Rin stuck out his tongue at his sister-in-arms before turning back to his story.

"I dodged his sword, but by mere seconds. He continued to slash at me - left, right, left, right, left, right. That's when he started to get smart. He _threw_ his blade at me, pinning my coat tail to the rooftops, and drew out his crossbow. A _crossbow_!"

"What happened next?" Someone from the crowd shouted. Rin lowered his voice to a whisper, his onyx eyes scanning the audience.

"He aimed his crossbow right at me, pointed straight for my forehead. Then, I quickly drew out my throwing knife and threw it straight at the Templar, sticking him right in the neck!" The crowd cheered and roared in excitement as some of the brothers clapped his back. "To be honest, I was aiming for his heart!"

"I've always wanted to fight a Templar." Khora laughed along with the men, tears forming in her eyes from her abdominal pain.

"One day, my fellow sister. One day." A new voice entered in from behind Khora. Looking up, she noticed an older man, roughly Altair's age and rank. His black hair was longer than some, but shorter than his younger brother's, Kadar - who was around Khora's age but a rank lower. "Khora, if I may have a word with you."

"Oh course, Malik."

The two left the chow halls, heading down a quiet corridor leading to Khora's personal chambers. Before reaching her door, Malik Al-Sayf - a mutual friend of Khora's and Altair's - handed her a rolled up piece of parchment, too small to be a scroll. She took it in her hands and noticed an emblem on the outside and looked up at Malik in confusion.

"From your biological father." His voice dropped, looking at her blue orbs in concern. Anything could have been written in the letter, and worst of all it could say something to persuade Khora to leave the Brotherhood to be with her real family. "I'll leave you in peace." He spoke as they reached her bed chambers. Without a word, Khora bashed through her door and slammed it closed, tossing the parchment on her bed. Should she read it? Should she tell Rune first?

Taking a shaky breath, Khora reached for the parchment again and broke the wax seal, exposing letters that read: _My Dearest Ru'yah_

She remembered that name from long ago. She couldn't remember who gave her that name or who called her it but she always remembered her name was Ru'yah, meaning dream. When Rune renamed her Khora, she never corrected him, liking the new change - a new life. Looking down, Khora continued to read in Arabic.

_'Many years have passed since I last saw you. You may not remember me, but I'm Amid, your father. Once you lived in a manor on top of the hill just outside of Jerusalem. Do you remember that?'_

She did, but faintly. She remembered a trail leading up to the giant house, a garden in the front and back of what seemed like a palace to her. She remembered a boy, years older than she was running around the yard chasing a dog. A man stood at the doorway, giving her a welcome smile as a woman stood beside him, scowling in disgust. But she couldn't make out their faces or who they were.

_'It pains me to write to you rather than speak to you for I forget what you even look like. I'm sure you've grown up to be as beautiful as your mother, Vici. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm writing to you or how you've come to be where you're at. And I will answer all your questions with a little story. A story that must be kept between us._

_"Twenty-two years ago, my father married me off to a woman named Adidah Gewels. She was a beautiful, high-born noblewoman who was is desperate need of a spouse. And how she couldn't find a spouse in the first place I will never know until years later. My family was also high-born, but the secret was we were losing money and needed the Gewels assistance. So we married and a few years later we had a boy named, Alic. He's your brother who is now a scholar in India. _

_"Things were going great but Adidah became more demanding by the year and it was to the point I needed a vacation from her. At that time, I had a brother living in England so I decided to visit him. After a few months of staying there, I felt like a new and free man. I even thought about joining the Royal Guard to support a new life in England. Can you imagine that: an Arabic man in England?_

_"That's when I met a beautiful woman by the name of Vici Newman. Praise Allah she was as lovely as she was beautiful. Bright blue eyes, brown hair that turned to gold at the tips, and a smile that could melt any many. Soon we fell in love and became lovers. Sadly, a letter from Israel beckoned me home for Alic was home with a fever. I never told Vici about my family at home, so she assumed I was travelling back to my siblings. Before mt department, Vici told me she was pregnant and I was the father._

_"I didn't know what to do. I was thrilled, happy, angry, and desperate. I decided to do what was best for me and stayed in England until the child was born, then I would leave to go back home. Nine months later, I held a beautiful baby girl in my arms for the first time and she looked like just her mother. We decided to name her Ru'yah, after my mother. Unfortunately, winter came and took Vici from me and I was stuck in England, alone with this beautiful baby girl and my brother._

_"I asked him if he could take her, but he assured me I had to. Months later, I returned to Jerusalem with the babe sprawled in my arms but I faced the consequences of breaking my vows before her God. Adidah and I decided we would stay together, but we both knew the love had ran out long ago. One day, for the first time in many days, my wife spoke to me. _

_"She said: Every time I look at her, all I see is your disloyalty. I can never accept her as my own. If you want to continue receiving money from my family, you'll get rid of her as soon as she can walk and talk._

_"I had to obey, Allah forgive me but I had to obey. You were five when I dropped you off at the orphanage, but soon you ran off from there, living in the streets. For two years, I stopped by Jerusalem every other day and watched you from afar. I watched you grow and grow, fight for yourself, and even slipped an apple under the hay pile you used as a pillow. My little Ru'yah, if you cannot find it in your heart to forgive your own man, then I only ask you to try and understand that a bastard is no place for nobility according to your step-mother. _

_"But no matter what, you'll always be my daughter and I will always love you. I hope one day I can find the courage to face you and beg for your forgiveness. And if that day comes, I'll take you home where you belong. You and I can go to England, live there without my wife forever. Just think about it, please._

_"Signed, Amid Azhar_

_"P.S. If you wish to see me, I will be by the mosque in Jerusalem every Saturday."_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I rewrote this chapter because I was tired last night and it was a little sloppy and I wanted to add some more details. Hope you guys enjoy! xoxo**

**REVIEW:  
chelsea-chee: I know, I'm sorry. Rune was one of my favorite OCs and I want to add more Altair/OC but ugh I'm impatient  
**

* * *

**Read, Follow, Favorite, Review, & Enjoy :)  
**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Assassin's Creed blah blah blah Credit goes to Ubisoft blah blah blah I only own my OCs: Rune, Khora, Leif, Oberyn, Dai Abdul, Rin the Unforgiving, Chad Robley, Sir Raj, Amid Azhar, Alic Azhar-Gewels, Vici Newman, Adidah Gewels, Hamal,

* * *

**Assassin's Creed**

**•••**

**Bird of Prey**

**•••**

**Chapter V: For Whom the Bell Tolls**

**•••**

Khora woke up the next morning with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. She didn't get much sleep last night nor did she have pleasant dreams. She woke only because the Hand-Maiden pulled her out of bed, pushed her into the wash room, and forced her out of her own chambers before morning chowder was served.

The caramel-haired woman sat alone at a table, a little too early to breakfast. She looked down at her hands with her pale sick eyes, noticing how small they were to most of her brothers - obviously because she was of opposite sex. While she sat alone, she thought about the letter and what she should do. Finally she had a real family, a father who was willing to sacrifice his family's good name for a bastard daughter.

Wait, what was she thinking? She had a family who took in her in and cherished her for eight long years. She had Rune, Rin, Chad, Rauf, and Altair as her new family. She couldn't leave them after everything they've done for her and everything she's accomplished. Even Grandmaster Al Mualim enjoyed her as one of his Assassins and relied on her as if she was one of his captains.

Masyaf was her home. Not Jerusalem or England.

"You look like shit." A mocking voice appeared before her as a figure stood in her sights. She snarled at the voice, knowing all too well who it was. His presence, let alone his existence bothered her, made her blood boil, and her nose wrinkle.

"Go away, fat boy." She hissed, not daring to raise her eyes to his, that would only mean a challenge. She didn't know what was worse, listening to him breathe out of his big nose or watching his body constantly shifting feet. At least he's alone this time, she though to herself. He typically was with his dip-shit group: Leif as the innocent one, Oberyn as the crew douche leader, Hamal a brand new initiate who obeyed Oberyn, and somehow Kadar Al-Sayf was in the group - only because he was close friends with gentle Leif, but the two never bothered her.

"Big words for a _bastard._" That's when her eyes snapped at him, daring him to say another word. Her eyes looked down at a forgotten two-pronged fork left by the maids and looked back up at him. He knew all to well what she was about to do and reached for the fork. But he shuffled back in surprise when her hand grasped the handle first, using her other hand to vault her over the long table and stand mere inches away from him, pressing the fork into his skin at his throat, but not enough to break skin.

"Not another word out of your mouth, or I'll cut you like a pig." She threatened, her blue eyes now sapphire. She felt Oberyn swallow as she held the fork there, both prongs threatening to give him another blow hole.

"Or what, you going to call your little lovers to help you, whore?" Today Khora showed no mercy like she usually did. Instead, she kicked his knee, bringing him to the ground before pouncing on top of him like a mountain lion. As she sat on his chest, she brought the fork to his eye, so dangerously close that if he even blinked, the prong would enter his eye. He tried to push her off but only ended up getting his body stuck under her knees, pinned like a caged animal.

"You wanna die -"

The sound of the tower bells rang and echoed through the empty chow hall: three rings, pause, three rings, pause. "Shit!" She shouted before hopping off her comrade and sprinting down the hall, which was instantly covered in white, red, and grey robes. Men started shouting as they shoved passed one another trying to exit and enter the fortress. Through the sea of men, Khora tried to find a familiar face to ask for more information.

Soon she saw a black-haired man with a goatee, hastily walking through the crowd as he strapped on his waist armor. "Malik!" She shouted at the man, who instantly turned to face her but didn't stop. She jogged toward him and follow him to the main halls of the Fortress. "What's going on?"

"We're under attack." He shouted over the roaring noise of hundreds Assassins preparing for battle. Khora had to jog just to keep up with the older man, but never once did she fall behind.

"Obviously. but who?"

"Templars." At that word, Khora vanished into the sea of whites, reds, and greys; lost in her own mind the girl followed the others until she reached the courtyard. Already she could hear the screams of civilians fleeing to the fortress, the clash of steel against steel, she could see black smoke rise into the blue sky as everyone rushed to their stations.

Never before has Khora actually been in a battle let alone see one, which caused her fingers to shake as her heart raced out of her chest. Feeling the adrenaline kick in, Khora took off for the city below to protect the innocent civilians from Masyaf's intruders. Once down the hill, she spotted the chaos of battle, witnessing white against white. She noticed that some white clothed men wore red crosses on their uniform which startled Khora for she visioned Templars wearing black.

"Khora!" A man shouted from the mix of chaos coming from a small pile of white. In the middle of it, Rune fought off Templars left and right alone but he was slowing down after taking down seven men. "I could use some help!"

"Right!" Khora bravely jumped in and for the first time she connected her blade with another blade that was out to kill her. The adrenaline caused her worry to fade, but she was still shaking at the thought of her first battle. She cut a man's arm off, then jabbed her blade at his neck, causing crimson to stain his white clothing and chain mail as he collapsed. "Holy shit! I just killed someone!"

"Aye, and he won't be your last. Behind you!" Rune shouted back, taking down another man.

Khora dodged her attacker's swings just like eight years ago when she faced against Oberyn. His sword was heavier than hers as well as his armor, which meant she was faster and swifter than he was. Twirling around him, the girl dodged his attacks and shoved her sword through an opening in the chain mail. Another one cut down by her.

Checking her surroundings, she noticed a man howling in pain as a sharp blade cut his calf muscle, causing him to fall to one knee. "Dammit." She hissed as she tried to dodge her next opponent's attacks. Noticing her ally - yet personal enemy - was about to get butchered like livestock, she risked everything to grab a throwing knife, sticking her ally's opponent right in the next. Her own opponent found an opening and sliced her upper arm with his blade, causing her to cry out as blood soaked her sleeve.

Rune hopped between the two, cutting down her attacker so she could evaluate her wound which would end up being her first battle scar. Soon she ignored the pain and watched as her fallen ally stumbled back to his feet, using his sword as a walking stick. His fat, red cheeks were spotted in dirt and sweat but he would live with his injuries. He looked up at Khora, his brown hair dripping sweat but instead of anger, he nodded at her.

As minutes flew by, the battle field became less crowded, allowing Khora and Rune to actually run to help the others. Down by the gates, Khora noticed of her two men fighting off four Templars and decided to join in. Before she could reach them, another crowd of Templars blocked her and Rune off. One didn't even let them catch their breath and went straight for Khora. She side-stepped, dodging his attack and grabbed his hand, pulling her towards him as she used her sword to pierce his neck.

Soon the other four and Rune joined in; slashing, hacking, jabbing, and slicing. When Khora chopped down the other two, she noticed only one man standing by the gates, surrounded by two Templars. He blocked their attacks but there was no way he could find an opening and cut them down. One of the other Templars came at Khora, distracting her once again but this time she kept her eyes on the far away Assassin.

As she cut down the Templar, she heard the whine of a horse as a hooded rider came in and cut down one of the Templars. The remaining Templar was able to push the exhausted Assassin to the ground, but not before the hooded figure dismounted his black stallion and threw a knife at the remaining Templar's back as he tried to run.

Once again, two more Templars came running towards Khora and Rune just as he beheaded the last Templar. "Do they ever stop?" He shouted to Khora, blocking his opponents blade as well as Khora. Another three cross-wearing Templars joined in. Once she dispatched her opponents, she turned her attention to the hooded figure, locking eyes on golden orbs. Smiling at the man, she almost forgot she was in the mix of a battle.

Turning her attention back to her fight, she cut down another Templar, however this time her sword was stuck in his messy chainmail and amour, and she was unable to pull out her sword. Panicking, she placed her leather boot on the back of the corpse's body, pinning it to the earth as she tried to pull her blade out but it was no use.

Seeing a flash of silver, Khora screamed, collapsing to the ground and raising her arms to defend herself from her attacker's blade. "Khora!" Rune shouted, stepping in between the two and slicing the man's neck, saving the girl. Khora had her eyes closed when she felt the warm blood splash on her face, but when she opened them again, she screamed in bloody murder.

"Altair!" She shouted before jumping to her feet and catching Rune before he fell to the ground, the fresh wound on her arm burning. Rune may have dispatched the Templar, but he didn't get away unscathed. The Templar's blade stuck out of Rune's chest and crimson liquid poured from the wound. She gently laid the rapid-breathing Assassin on his back, unsure of what she should do. She felt utterly useless.

"K-Kho-ra. Go, s-save the ci-ity." He gasped, the light in his eyes slowly fading. Khora wrapped her fingers around the blade, trying to stop the bleeding without pulling out the sword but the blood kept spilling. His dark brown hair was covered in sweat and dirt along with the stubble of hair on his chin. Blood soon mixed in as Khora released one of her hands to comb through his short hair in a comforting manner, trying to keep in her sobs and whimpers.

"Rune, hold on. You're going to make it!" She cried, looking over her shoulder to see the hooded man running towards them, slashing at anyone who got in his way. She looked back at Rune, but the light was already gone from his eyes as his empty corpse stared into the black smoke. "No, no!" She cried, holding onto the man she thought of as a father, screaming for him to come back.

Solid arms snaked around her waist and pulled her away from the corpse. She tried to fight him, but it was useless as he kept pulling her away. "Rune!" She cried again, this time turning her back to the corpse and falling into Altair's chest, sobbing as a hole was ripped from her chest. Rune was like a father to her, a guardian, someone she loved and cherished. Now he was gone, along with other Assassins. Who else died in the battle? Rin? Chad? Kadar? Malik? How many lives lost?

"Khora, listen to me." Altair pulled her away from him, his now unhooded face close to hers, cupping her pale face in his hands as his thumbs wiped away the tears. She wanted to refuse, but instead locked onto his gazing eyes once more, wishing to stop the pain. "I know it hurts, but I need your help okay? Okay?"

"... Okay." She half-hardly replied, almost whimpering.

"I'm going to close the castle gate. Flank the Crusaders in the village and drive them into the canyon."

Khora sniffed back tears, but nodded in reply. "No mistakes." He continued before squeezing her shoulders and releasing her. He helped Khore to her feet then turned around, giving her one last look as he pulled his hood back over his face. Khora looked over at the man on his back with a sword still sticking up with the hilt skyward.

"No mistakes..."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I have work tomorrow morning :| Jk about the :|, I work at Starbucks so free coffee! _(Yes, Starbucks employees get free coffee all the time, it's great)_

I didn't know how to start this chapter after a fatal character death, so sorry if it's awkward.

* * *

**RIP ROBIN WILLIAMS: I was in the middle of writing this chapter when I heard that Robin Williams - one of my favorite actors -passed away. Dead Poets Society and Aladdin were a few of my favorite movies, not to mention I grew up watching jumanji. And the fact he was a huge LOZ made me love him even more. Rest now, Mr. Williams. Millions loved you and still do. "No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world."**

* * *

**Read, Follow, Favorite, Review, & Enjoy :)  
**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Assassin's Creed blah blah blah Credit goes to Ubisoft blah blah blah I only own my OCs: Rune, Khora, Leif, Oberyn, Dai Abdul, Rin the Unforgiving, Chad Robley, Sir Raj, Amid Azhar, Alic Azhar-Gewels, Vici Newman, Adidah Gewels, Hamal

* * *

**Assassin's Creed**

**•••**

**Bird of Prey**

**•••**

**Chapter VI: This Is Not the Beginning, But It's Not the End**

**•••**

**The Next Day**

Khora stood before the wide oak desk, remembering how huge it seemed to her when she first came to Masyaf as she stood beside Rune. _Rune..._

Lowering her head, she bowed in respect to the older man sitting behind the desk, his good eye paler than usual - then again, today everyone's eyes seemed lifeless. His beard hung down to his collarbone as he tugged on it like what most elder men do when they're in deep thought. "My girl, you look like you can use some rest." His voice still carried power and charisma, even though he too was morning the deaths of many.

"I assure you that I'm fine, Grandmaster."

She watched as Al Mualim gestured for two men to approach and they gently placed several pieces of cloth, armor, and metal on the table. Khora instantly recognized it as a new set of robes and weapons from the armory, except it was cut and sewed to fit the shape of a woman. Her pale blur eyes, red from exhaustion, scanned the tables as the two men scurried out of sight to leave their Master and apprentice in private.

"Yesterday was your first time in battle, yes?"

"Correct, Master."

Al Mualim slowly rose from his chair, smiling at the small girl who was still lacking life and energy. Her golden, curled hair was not smoothed or tied into her typical pony-tail. Instead in hung down her torso ending at her waist in messy tangles. Her brows were constantly furrowed as if she was always angry or thinking and ever her stance was different today. She woke up a completely new women, firm and hard like a man. Her face showed no emotion and was hard like a rock as her blue eyes peered from under her long lashes. She was a true Assassin today.

"You did very well, child. You saved many lives: innocent civilians and even your own brothers. Yes, I've heard much about your efforts yesterday."

"I was just following orders, Master." She confessed, not wanting any glory. She failed, she failed Rune, she failed herself. She couldn't even protect a man she cared about, a man who took her in under his wing. He just lied there as she cried until he took his last breath. Because of her lack of focus, Rune was gone and she knew it and would never let it go.

"Aye, but you still showed your bravery and for that, the city thanks you. I, Rashid ad-Din Sinan, Grandmaster of the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins, hereby promote you, Khora, as Rank Six Disciple."

Khora didn't know what to think, still blaming herself for the death of a strong Master Assassin. She felt her heart sink as she took the folded red sash in her hands, feeling the fresh fabric over her calloused fingers. With teary eyes and arched eyebrows, Khora gazed upon Al Mualim, thanking him but wishing he didn't bestow such honor on her for she did nothing to prove her worth. "Thank you, Grandmaster."

Back in her chambers, Khora laid her new armor and weapons on her bed the same way they were laid on the desk. Unstrapping a few buckles, Khora had her old worn out armor on the bed as well. As she pulled off her long sleeve, grey tunic she hissed at the sharp pain on her upper arm. Fighting it, she pulled the white tunic and grey shirt off, leaving her in a sleeveless, white turtle neck that stopped right above her pierced naval, dark grey skinny trousers, and dark brown leather boots.

She looked over at her injured arm that was now stitched and wrapped. Noticing the wrap had a small stain of blood, Khora unwrapped it and let in fall to the floor as she walked into the wash room and dipping a clean cloth into a bucket of water, washing away the blood from her agitated wound. A subtle knock came from her door, causing Khora to drop the bloody rag into the sink.

Opening the door with a sigh, Khora was greeted by a tall, lean man holding an armful of supplies such as ink bottles, quills, letters, and rolled up pieces of parchment. His blue eyes matched hers, however they glistened in the candlelight and shone with happiness. "Good day, Khora." He addressed her before walking into her chambers without permission and laid all the supplies on an empty table.

"Kadar. So what is all of this?" Her face was still hard, even in the company of a friend. Kadar was never one to follow Oberyn's cruelty, being a sweet-hearted kid and all.

"Well you're not busy cleaning up the city _and_ you can read maps." Kadar unrolled one of the bigger parchments, which reached end-to-end of the table. Peering over his shoulder, Khora noticed it was a map of Skyria and neighboring countries, marked by Capitals and borders. "Grandmaster has asked that you mark where the Crusaders have attacked, where they've been spotted, and a trail of where they've been." Once he rolled out the map, he turned towards the armor laying on her bed and took a closer look. "You were promoted? When?"

"Just a few minutes ago." She muttered, trying not to look upon the new armor and busying herself with the map and letters of reported sightings.

"I better go. And congrats, Khora."

Once Kadar was gone, Khora got busy. She read a report and marked on the map where it came from and so on and so forth. Soon she had a messy trail going from Acre to Jerusalem and everywhere in between. Certainly a spark in a third crusade; there was no way the Sultan, Saladin, could ignore King Richard of Lionheart's sign of revolution.

Palms planted on the map, Khora leaned on the table, thinking about King Richard's advances and wondered if the start of the Third Crusade would ignite all of Syria and Israel. Again, a knock echoed through the door, but Khora didn't move an inch and continued to focus on the map. "Enter." She ordered, pursing her lips in a hard line as her brows furrowed in frustration. If a Third Crusade should erupt, which was no doubt at this point, the Assassins would try to stay out of it but who's to say the Templars won't return and attack once more - this time with a bigger army.

She heard the door creak open and shut again, but she paid no attention to her company. Instead she dipped the quill in the ink and scrapped off the excess liquid, circling around Jerusalem on the map. Surely, that's where King Robert I is aiming for, the heart of the Holy Lands. Surely the Christians were out for something more than just the Lands again, but what?

"You didn't report to breakfast or lunch." A calm voice echoed through Khora's mind, reminding her of the last words he spoke to her as she tried to push away the tears. _'No mistakes.'_

"Not hungry." She mumbled, refusing to look up at his honeycomb eyes, fearing she'd just break down again. Altair was one tough son-of-a-bitch, but when he was around she felt the need to explain her thoughts and emotions. Her hardened face relaxed slightly, but her brows still pushed together as if she saw something that disgusted her.

"You were promoted, but you're not wearing your armor."

She sensed him wondering towards her bed, examining the pieces Al Mualim gifted her with, less enthusiastic as Kadar. "Typically a promoted Assassin wears his armor instantly to show the others of his new rank. It's tradition."

"I'm not from Syria, Altair. I'm not even from Israel." This brought Altair to full attention as he watched the back of the woman's head, watching as she straightened her back and faced him. She seemed different, he thought. Her hair was dull and lifeless, hanging down past the bottom of her shirt in loose curls, her jawline was tense and her face looked as if she were looking at an opponent in a sparring match - or worse. She showed no compassion, no happiness, no emotions - just staring back at him with sick blue eyes like a dead person. He noticed the stitches on her arm were red from inflammation and agitation, but it looked cleaned and not infected.

"You remember where you were from originally?" He asked, removing his hood to reveal his honeycomb eyes, short brown hair, and two day old stubble. His light scar contrasted his tanned skin, making the scar that much more dominant on his lips. After a long period of silence, Khora finally spoke with mixed emotion in her voice.

"I received a letter last night... from a man claiming to be my biological father. He told me I was born in England... and that... I'm a bastard... He said if I accepted his love, we could move to England and start over."

Altair fell silent, thinking about the new information. Would she go?

"Well, you're still young. You have a chance to reunite with your father and no one will blame you."

"I would." She huffed out, sitting down in a chair that faced Altair. She fiddled her hands as she spoke. "I have a family here. Masyaf is my home more than England and Jerusalem. I'm interested to meet this man, but... I don't know, Altair."

"Then I'll go with you."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Sorry for my absence for the past month, I've been working my ass off, plus I got a ps4 so I've been playing that and I just got my laptop in today so now I can write without having to use my PC. My PC is fine and all, but I get easily distracted with Tumblr and editing photos so right now I can focus on my hobby.

Honestly I forgot who all my OCs are.

* * *

**Read, Follow, Favorite, Review, & Enjoy :)  
**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Assassin's Creed blah blah blah Credit goes to Ubisoft blah blah blah I only own my OCs: Rune, Khora, Leif, Oberyn, Dai Abdul, Rin the Unforgiving, Chad Robley, Sir Raj, Amid Azhar, Alic Azhar-Gewels, Vici Newman, Adidah Gewels, Hamal

* * *

**Assassin's Creed**

**•••**

**Bird of Prey**

**•••**

**Chapter VII: A Decision to Make**

******•••**  


"Hey, Altair..."

"Yeah?"

"Rune was your uncle, right?"

"In ways, yes."

"In ways? What does that mean?"

"Well... he wasn't actually my father's brother, but they were close - grew up together - so I knew him as my uncle. When my father passed, he became a lot more father like to me."

"Like Al Mualim?"

"Yeah, like Al Mualim." The older man replied softly, almost hesitant but the woman didn't pick up on it. She brought her knees to her chest, cradling herself like she used to when she was young and lived on the streets. Her eyes glazed over at the honey coloured eyes sitting across from her, his eyes peering at shadows as they danced across the walls and ceilings of his chambers.

"Tell me about your father." She finally spoke again, resting her back against the bed-frame, still looking at the figure sitting in front of the fire. She watched as his eyes darted towards her for a brief second before turning his attention to the fire as his jaws clenched.

"I don't know, Khora."

Her sign was silent but noticeable, leaving Altair stuck sitting there in the quiet as she adjusted in his bed a bit more to get comfortable - in her uncomfortable situation. Altair also let out a deep breath, unclenching his jaws before his teeth cracked from the pressure.

"He was an Assassin." He finally mentioned, wanting to ease her troubled mind. He looked down at the woman like a sister or close family member. He still remembered the day Rune brought her fourth to the Grandmaster and was instantly rejected until he spoke with the master. For years he watched her grow from a girl to a skilled assassin, not just a woman, and continue to grow stronger. Khora was definitely someone he could trust and even call friend. "Above all else."

She slightly smiled, mentally thanking him for distracting her from Rune's unexpected death - a painful nightmare she couldn't wake up from, constantly drowning her thoughts. Rune's death took a toll on both Assassin's, but Altair was able to hide his anger and sorrow better than Khora, who was having constant outbursts of crying or yelling.

"Honestly, I don't remember much about him."

"I'm sorry."

"It's typical for Assassins, especially with high-ranking Assassins. A lot of the brothers don't remember much about their parents or not at all." Khora gripped her knees harder, squinting her eyes to hold back tears, remembering what it was like to be truly alone all because she was a bastard. For years no one showed any signs of kindness until Rune rescued her, and now he was gone. The first friend she made, the first person she smiled at. Gone.

"I know you miss Rune, but we have to move on." Altair rose to his feet and walked towards his bed, resting his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him under her damp eyelashes and finally a tear fell, but her stone hard face refused to show anymore signs of pain.

"How can you say that? He was family, Altair!" Her voice cracked as she held back weeps and cries. Altair pursed his lips into a hard line, his tired eyes locking onto her's. She shook off his hand from her shoulder before jumping to her feet and standing toe-to-toe with the older Assassin, her face mere inches away from him.

"Khora, it's dangerous to dwell in sorrow. You become distracted and you could get yourself killed on missions." She only tilted her head in response, her watery eyes still locked onto his.

"You don't have to look after me anymore." Was the last thing she said before walking out of Altair's room, slamming the door behind her - enough to shake the walls and rattle Altair's mounted weapons. "Damnable woman." Altair sighed, scratching his stubble.

******•••**

Rin sat at a table, munching on bread spread with butter along with the young Al-Sayf brother, Kadar. "He said there were three of them."

"Three? In one place? Impossible. Your brother is a liar."

"It's true! He faced all three at once."

"Yeah right."

"Ask him yourself."

"I'm not going to ask him."

"Because you know your wrong."

"No, because your brother hangs around _him_."

"I don't understand why you don't like Altair. He's a great Assassin, maybe the best."

"He's good at what he does, I'll give him that but the look in his eyes... I don't trust that."

"Oh come on, Rin. Altair isn't a bad guy - hey, Khora, what's wrong?" Kadar called out to the woman storming off in the distance. Both men jumped to their feet, pursuing the fuming woman when she refused to stop or acknowledge their calls towards her. "Khora!"

Once out in the village, the boys finally caught up to her, but only by free running across the rooftops - earning a few slurs from elder Assassins or the citizens of Masyaf. "Khora..." Rin whispered when he touched her shoulder, but she only swung around to face him and shoved him away. "Hey, hey. It's just me, Rin." He tried to comfort her but every time he tried to take a step towards her she violently shove him into Kadar.

"Hey, what's wrong?'

"She's a little unsteady, right now. Don't take it personal." Another voice entered the monologue, deep and calming yet firm in power. Altair stood between Rin and Kadar and Khora, unhooded, revealing his brown hair, Syrian tan, and light scar on his lip. His honeycomb eyes showed little emotion but everyone knew he was feeling something deep below his hard shell. He wrapped an arm around Khora's shoulders, bringing her closer to his side in a protective manner. "Come, lets get you something to eat."

She nodded, bringing herself deeper into his side by planting a hand on the mid of his back and the other on his armor. The duo walked off, leaving Rin and Kadar in astonishment, never seeing Khora so broken and Altair so affectionate. The way Altair looked at Khora made Rin's blood boil as he clenched his teeth, watching the Eagle guide the woman who latched onto his heart.

"Rune's death must have hit her hard."

******•••**

"Ru'yah, huh? So you are from around here." Altair scanned the letter once more, taking in details, the dialect and style of the writing, even how even or rough the quill was pressed onto the parchment. "Dream, Vision. And your English. That explains a lot."

"I guess." She responded softly, fiddling with her armor as she sat in front of the lit fire in her own room.

"So do we call you Ru'yah now? Or will you leave?"

"For the millionth time, Altair. No. Who knows even if this man is my father."

"You know we Assassins just don't go around killing. We search for information, anything valuable and use it for our advantage. We can search for this man and see for ourselves if he is truly who he says he is."

"It's a waste of time."

"Don't you want to know who your father is?"

There was a long pause before Khora responded with a sharp tone. "My father died in my arms a few days ago."


End file.
